August 16, 2019 at 11:37AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f902gJ3FPSY] Much like medicine balls or yoga wheels, Pilates rings tend to fall into the category of workout tools that look pretty innocent. It’s just a hollow, simple ring—how sore can it leave you anyways? Fun fact: Very. In our latest episode of Good Moves, Well+Good’s video series that showcases sweat-packed at-home workouts, trainer Rahel Ghebremichael—a fitness pro who currently teaches at Modelfit—walks us through an abs-burning Pilates ring workout that will leave you seriously sore. Part strength training, part Pilates, this eight-minute sesh (which you can do from the comfort of your living room, BTW) works your arms, your core, your legs, and your balance. You might even say it’s a well-rounded sweat sesh you can do anytime, anywhere—even without a Pilates ring (Ghebremichael says it’s totally optional). Her advice for getting through the pain? “You can do anything for five reps!” Set one 1. Reverse lunge—left: Take a step back with your left leg, right knee over your right ankle on the same line. As you lunge, you’re going to keep your chest out, stomach in, core engaged. Take a squeeze of the Pilates ring in your hands, then as you extend your arms out, release and toe tap your right foot back as you stand up. Then take another giant step back, arms extending, pause—pull in the ring and squeeze—then release. Keep your shoulders away from your ears. 2. Oblique wood chop in lunge—right: Step back with your left
Category: Fashion
These camo trail sneakers are all I want to wear from here on out
August 16, 2019 at 09:40AM by CWC I never thought I’d say this in my entire life, but I’m in love with a pair of trail sneakers. Sure, I know that gorpcore is rising to never-before-seen heights, with Balenciaga sending puffer jackets down the runway, Tevas dominating as the shoe of the summer, and hiking boots morphing into “cute” footwear. It’s strange to me, but alas—that’s how style trends work, I suppose. Turns out I’ve been subconsciously drinking the juice, because these trail sneakers—the new Hoka x Xterra Torrent ($130)—are never, ever leaving my feet. This makes me raise an eyebrow in utter confusion, because trail sneakers are about the grip and they typically have a stiff construction, but usually it’s function over style. Not these babies: The Torrent comes in a camouflage print, which is actually quite chic. If you’re not into the classic green with a lime green sole, they also have a grey-hued camo print with a bright red sole. The shape is different than your typical old-school trail shoes: They’re streamlined, and are trail sneakers dressed up like athleisure’s best. While some may shake their heads at the appeal of camo print, I hear you—but it’s been popping up slyly over the past year or so on activewear and, well, everything. So while my sister asked if I was going hunting, know that the print is stylish and indicative of the actual purpose of the shoe. “The camo ground of the sneaker was inspired by the
Lip plumpers have come a long way since the ’90s, so you can kiss buzzing buh-bye
August 16, 2019 at 07:53AM by CWC A lot of things from the ’90s have come back with a vengeance in 2019, but haven’t necessarily improved in their second iteration—I’d like to submit the new version of Four Weddings and a Funeral and that time N’SYNC performed at Coachella without Justin Timberlake as evidence. Thankfully, plumping lip gloss is outdoing many of its fellow popular ’90s fads, and is not only back, but it’s better than ever. “Plumping lip products seem to be having their moment again, and I’ve been seeing new ways brands are using healthier ingredients to plump,” says celebrity makeup artist Neil Scibelli, pointing to heroes like hyaluronic acid and peptides as the new plump perfecting agents favorited by lipstick brands. “Whether you want your lips to look more hydrated, or you want to fill in any vertical lines, brands have really started speaking to those lip concerns.” And no matter what you’re looking to get out of your plumping product—whether it’s a quick, high-shine blast or some longer term volume—there’s something on the market that will help you get it done, whether or not you want to feel the buzzing, stinging magic, or not. Shop our picks, below. Photo: Milani Milani Keep It Full Nourishing Lip Plumper ($9) Milani makes these new nourishing lip plumping glosses, which use hyaluronic acid and peptides to fill in the lips and give them a “healthy” plump, without the stinging. Their glosses are also pretty pigmented (and cruelty free), so they
Ditch the stain stick, this baking soda spray gets any evidence of spills out of laundry
August 16, 2019 at 06:44AM by CWC One second you’re enjoying your chilled, iced matcha latte, and the next you have a gigantic green stain staring at you (or popsicle drip this time of year) from your fresh white shirt. It’s happened to the best of us. Typically, a stain that big is something not even your trusty stain stick can fight off. But instead of having to run your shirt through the wash to get rid of it, there’s a homemade spray you can make that cleans your clothes in record time. One of the most powerful stain-fighting combos just so happens to live under your kitchen sink. According to Elle, a half cup of dish soap, a cup of hydrogen peroxide, and a tablespoon of baking soda is all it takes to get rid of any evidence of an unfortunate spill, whether it’s matcha, wine, green juice, or that delicious spaghetti sauce you never should have eaten in white clothing. First, combine your ingredients in a spray bottle (make sure it’s dark, as hydrogen peroxide decomposes quickly in sunlight), shake it up. Then, after rinsing your stain with cool water, simply spray on your DIY stain remover and gently work it in. Before your eyes, the stain will start to fade pretty much instantly. A few minutes later, you can rinse off the solution and you’re good to go—no extra laundry required. It’s worth noting that while this trick works wonders without having to toss your clothes in
I tried a polyamorous relationship, and it kinda worked—until it didn’t
August 16, 2019 at 03:01AM by CWC I’ve never been particularly traditional, especially when it comes to relationships, but even I was thrown for a loop after falling in love with someone who “didn’t do monogamy.” Matt was a musician with a punk mentality who “didn’t do” much of anything conventional. At first, his argument against monogamy read to me like an argument for the sexual promiscuity so easily enabled by tour life. But when I told him there had been chaos in my childhood due to infidelity, he asked me if I thought that the constant turmoil, which resulted from the expectation of monogamy, was actually easier to deal with than the understanding that the expectation is unnatural and therefore shouldn’t be imposed. I had to admit I could see his point. Still, I more so agreed to try a polyamorous setup because I was head over heels and just wanted to continue the relationship, not because I actually wanted to do it. I wasn’t happy about it, either. I have a mean jealous streak, and knowledge of his relationships outside of ours made me crazy, especially because I couldn’t imagine seeing anyone else. Or at least, not at first. My two relationships were very different, and I was getting different needs met in both. Then, I met someone else who, for various reasons, wasn’t right for an all-or-nothing relationship either. So, I began to see them both, and eventually I was in love with two different people at
These swimsuits double as sports bras, so I’ll be wearing them long past Labor Day
August 15, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC I’ve long been a believer in strategic swimwear. I love when a triangle top that peeks out during a dance-floor move can be excused as a bathing suit, or a when bandeau bikini that gives new, family-gathering-appropriate life to a v-neck that might have otherwise been cut too low. In my opinion, a swimsuit styled with actual clothing is the definition of summer outfit perfection. And applying this double-duty move to activewear—aka wearing your bikini top as a sports bra—is not only stylish, but it’s actually a fairly logical move. For me, throwing on a supportive bathing suit and heading to a workout about the ease of wear, and also about getting twice the bang for your bathing suit buck… even if swimming isn’t even part of the equation that day. Practicing free yoga stretches in my living room to Amazon Prime’s finest instructors means that a torso-flattering Boys + Arrows Phil Top ($98) can provide just the right lines and lift without the pressure. And for frisbee tosses on the actual beach, Cover’s Swim Sports Bra ($100) is a real winner. This multitasking attitude has been everywhere lately, as brands give bikini/sports bra hybrids new life both in and out of the water. Photo: Summersalt Summersalt Mesh Diver Bikini Top ($50) Take Summersalt, the sustainable swimwear label who launched their activewear line this month with the intention of giving everything from halter bikini tops to color-blocked leggings a double meaning. Pulled on
If you live your life in leggings, elevate your look with the latest athleisure must-have
August 15, 2019 at 09:28AM by CWC If you think leggings make you feel free, just wait until you slip on an exercise dress. Ever since Outdoor Voices released its iconic dress meant for #DoingThings—whether that’s running trails or errands—it’s become a summer staple for ladies everywhere. But why stop with one when you can have an entire drawer full of comfy exercise dresses to wear throughout the week? With the growing popularity of the athleisure must-have, there are plenty of places to snag an exercise dress, from big-name brands to Amazon, at all price points. And considering fall is well over a month away, there’s still plenty of time left to rock them as much as possible before leggings season officially arrives. The best exercise dresses Buy Now Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress in Mineral Blooms $100 Buy Now Lululemon In Your Court Dress $59 Buy Now Athleta Match Point Dress in SuperSonic $89 Buy Now Kimmery Criss-Cross Back Tank Dress $26 Buy Now Under Armour Move Light Dress $53 Buy Now NikeCourt Dri-FIT Tennis Dress $70 Buy Now Patagonia Women’s Sliding Rock Dress $53 Buy Now Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress in Dove Frost $100 Buy Now Athleta Reversible Santorini High Neck Dress $128 Here’s why the next wave of athleisure is the coziest one yet. Also, check out the fashion-forward athleisure pieces that will keep you warm once the temperature drops. ad_intervals[‘415711_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘415711_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); Continue Reading… Author Tehrene Firman
5 Instagram videos to bookmark if you’re still confused in the weight room
August 15, 2019 at 08:23AM by CWC In college, I had an (admittedly weak) comedic bit about how cardio machine hopping was my version of bar hopping. The 45 minutes I spent at the gym consisted of bouncing from the treadmill to the stairclimber to the elliptical with no real rules save for one exception: under no circumstances—never, ever, never—enter the weight room. In retrospect, this unspoken boundary is a result of a belief that I didn’t deserve to be in the weight room. (I know—that sounds funny! But hear me out!) Strength equipment remains largely male-dominated. And while cardio machines are pretty intuitive, leg presses, power racks, and lat pull down machines are not. Many of them require trial-and-error, asking for help, and developing muscles memory over time. Back then, I didn’t feel confident enough to approach these machines with the curiosity they require. Now, a fleet of Instagram fitfluencers has taught me how to dabble with heavy lifting—and quite frankly—I’ve never felt stronger. IG has made it easier than ever to stock your phone with free personal trainers and the Gym Shark-sponsored women are some of my favorite to follow. To name names, Natacha Oceane, Whitney Simmons, and Hanna Öberg have all transformed my idea of what a trip to the gym can look like. To be clear, I’m not an expert with every machine just yet, but with the help of my virtual sidekicks, I’ve become a little bit more brave about sampling the equipment. Anyone who
I love you (long distance?): How I reclaimed 3 words for myself
August 15, 2019 at 04:02AM by CWC My boyfriend is hanging upside down when I realize—holy crap—I’m head over heels in love with him. We’re at a rock climbing gym in Queens, and I’m gawking up at his six-foot frame alongside a group of his closest friends as he scales a perilous course known as “the cave.” It should be impossible, but not for him. Suddenly, I think, “That person picked me! I picked him!” I want to cup my hands around my mouth and shout “Hey, you! I’m in love with you!” in a Say Anything-style boombox moment. He’s my first love and this should be it; this should be wonderful. Instead, my mind reels back to a conversation we’d had two weeks before. You see, my boyfriend—let’s call him Logan—recently accepted a job offer in the midwest that’s no hop, skip, and a jump away from me. In three months’ time, he’ll whisk himself away to a new life far from my home in New York City, and the inevitability of that move has made the subject of our “future” together sticky and painful. To make an apropos analogy—it now feels like I, too, am gripping precariously to multi-colored climbing holds against gravity’s better judgement. In three months’ time, he’ll whisk himself away to a new life far from my home in New York City, and the inevitability of that move has made the subject of our “future” together sticky and painful. Spending time with Logan now feels
This super-intense plyometric move combines the two hardest glutes exercises into one killer butt workout
August 14, 2019 at 12:53PM by CWC Walking into New York’s Dogpound fitness studio, there’s no question that you’re about to put in work. There’s a huge black tire outside beckoning for you to flip it over (like supermodel Ashley Graham does on the reg), a boxing ring, assault bikes (which make me tremble in fear), a weighted sled meant for pushing down the street (casual), and weight machines galore. It’s known as a hotspot for supermodels to get their workouts in at, but it’s also just a really good place to HIIT it out until you literally. And that is precisely what I did there this morning: After cycling through different stations in which I did everything mentioned above (and a whole lot more), I came up to the “lower body” section. The two trainers had me do resistance band butt stuff, clamshells, weighted squats and curtsy lunges… and then finish things off with a very hard plyometric combo move that is basically my two least favorite exercises combined. The move in question? Jump lunges-into-jump squats, no standing up allowed. “The jump lunge-squat combo is a great dynamic movement to bring your heart rate up,” says Rhys Athayde, founding trainer of Dogpound. “It helps with quad, hamstring, and glute development as well as targets the hip flexors and calves.” The reason you have to stay low, which makes it even harder? “By staying low, your lower body stays in a constant state of stress which burns more calories and increases your